Category: Match Reports 2014-15

Lossiemouth were undone by two late goals from Wick Academy at Grant Park. A tense affair saw Lossie keep their guests at bay well into the second half but a David Allan strike from close range gave Wick the lead with seven minutes left. Allan added a second as injury time ran out, condemning Lossie to a third defeat in a week and keeping Wick third in the table.

Lossiemouth progressed to the quarter-finals of the Breedon Aggregates Highland League Cup with an extra time victory over Strathspey Thistle. With ten minutes of the second half played, Josh PETERS opened the scoring for Thistle before Shawn SCOTT fired an equaliser past former Lossie manager Steven Dunn. Darren Bailey was sent off in normal time for Lossie and with no further goals in normal time, an extra half hour was required.

With 28 minutes of the half hour played, Scott MILLER rifled home a shot from close range to win what had been a cantankerous affair and send Lossie into the next round where they’ll face Nairn County at Station Park.

The turn of the year brings with it Derby Day in the Press and Journal Highland League, and gives supporters the opportunity to exchange the gifts of gloating and misery in front of friends, family and work colleagues.

Lossiemouth, however, have been left without a proper derby since the departure of Elgin City for pastures new fifteen years ago, and attempts to fill the gap in the calendar with games against Rothes have failed to inspire a similar level of enthusiasm or contempt. Some recent meetings with Forres Mechanics came close to elevating that fixture to derby status, but the intensity of the pairing has been reduced significantly due to midweek meetings. And so, with no-one else to first foot, Lossie have been paired with coastal neighbours Buckie for the last couple of festive seasons.

The two towns glower at each other across the water in winter, with the picturesque summer setting long forgotten by the time this fixture comes to the fore. Were the towns a little closer Buckie residents could, on their evening walk home from the workhouse, catch a glimpse of strange horseless carriages cruising the clean streets of Lossie, their journey guided by electric street lights which illuminate both the street and the night sky, taunting the hardworking lamplighters of Buckie who long for such technological advances to make their way across the border into the Shire.

Despite the lack of distance and an almost inbred history shared between the two sides, the idea of this being their derby match is probably as strange a concept to Buckie as it is to Lossie. Deveronvale are their rivals as much as Elgin were Lossie’s, and with four titles and numerous other bits of tin accumulated between them over the past decade and more, the two would no doubt like to become reacquainted in the holidays and pull in the kind of four figure crowds that attended the final day title shootout three seasons ago, but the presence of Turriff United means Vale now face farmers instead of fishermen over the festive season.

Whatever opinions are on the stature of the fixture, it hasn’t stopped Lossie from giving Buckie the kind of beating from which even a New York police officer would fail to escape punishment. The Coasters romped to a 3-1 home victory last January and on Saturday cruised to a 4-2 win at Victoria Park. Scott DUNN opened the scoring before Chris ANGUS score once in each half to give Buckie the lead. Lossie may have turned up with coal and shortbread but once through the door they made straight for the drinks cabinet, and goals from Shawn SCOTT and Ryan FARQUHAR were followed by a late Kevin FLETT penalty as the visitors made merry before staggering out the door with a first win for Charlie Charlesworth since his return. The noisy band of travelling supporters took great delight in what had just happened, while the few remaining Buckie fans left in the ground at full time were open mouthed at what had unfolded in front of them and, having watched their side fail to beat Lossie in 2014, must have been wondering if 2015 is to be equally miserable.

Elgin City’s impending relegation from SPFL League Two at the end of this season means the possibility of a reunion between Lossie and the Skiters is on the cards, but if for nothing other than the three points, perhaps we can play it in the summer and keep on meeting Buckie Thistle during the holidays.

Charlie Charlesworth’s return to Princess Royal Park with Lossiemouth was ruined by a Deveronvale side that ran out comfortable winners.

Colin Charlesworth set about ruining the family reunion with the opening goal after nineteen minutes, and Stuart Leslie scored his first for the club to increase the lead before half time. A second half double from Craig Cowie finally killed off Lossie, who pulled a goal back through Scott Miller with a dozen minutes left before having Willie Mathers sent off towards the end of the game.

The result sees Lossie stay in 16th place while Vale remain in 12th just behind Clachnacuddin.

Lossiemouth slumped to a home defeat against basement rivals Huntly at Grant Park. Mark LAWSON headed home from a corner after only three minutes as Charlie Charlesworth saw his second home managerial debut get off to a bad start, and six minutes later Aaron SHAND converted a penalty on his debut for the Tigers.

The goals were enough to secure the points for the visitors, and while Lossie made more of a game of the second half the damage was done, and the afternoon ended on a sour note for Lossie following the dismissal of Shawn Scott in injury time.

The result saw Lossie drop two places in the league as Huntly leapfrogged them into 13th, while Fort William’s win over Keith also hoisted them above Lossie.

Lossiemouth gave Nairn County a run for their money on Saturday at a sunny Station Park, with the Coasters taking an early lead before being undone by a four goal turn from Nairn’s Sam Urquhart.

Charlie Charlesworth was back in the Lossie dugout, taking charge at The Bernagow for a second time following a successful spell between 2008 and 2012. Two years spent drying tears and dealing with tantrums at Princess Royal Park went unappreciated by the Deveronvale faithful and he was welcomed back to Lossie as the Coasters attempt to build on the progress made by Steven Dunn.

Nairn have had no such managerial issues, with Les Fridge having been in charge for what seems like most of the centenary the Wee County are currently celebrating, but a poor start to the season has left Nairn stuck in mid-table and almost as far from the title race as their visitors.

The game coincided with the Nairn County Ladies Day, a relatively recent phenomenon in Highland League circles. As Shawn SCOTT scored the opener from the penalty spot, the fairer half of Nairn cheered loudly, seemingly unaware that it was Lossie who had taken the lead. The ladies would go on to enjoy their day, cheering at anything that happened as the pre-match Lambrini took effect.

Lossie’s own Ladies Day back in August saw 150 high-heeled punters treated to a seven goal thriller and the Nairn contingent witnessed the same number of goals, with Lossie no doubt relieved the game wasn’t as one sided as the one their own well-dressed guests were party to that day (Inverurie scored all seven).

Nairn were unamused by Lossie’s attempts to impress the ladies and Martin MACDONALD got their attention when he headed home an equaliser, and Sam URQUHART put Nairn into the lead minutes after the break. Conor Gethins saw his penalty saved by Connor Hall as Lossie kept Nairn at bay but URQUHART went on to finish off Lossie by himself, scoring all four of Nairn’s second half goals. Willie MATHERS scored in the middle of the four as Lossie kept working hard, but there was no stopping Nairn as they coasted towards full time with Urquhart deservedly going home with the man of the match award.

Lossie now face a double header of games against the two sides directly below, first travelling to Keith before hosting Huntly as the Coasters attempt to hold on to top spot in the mini-league of six teams at the bottom which has now been cut adrift from the rest of the league.

Two goals in the opening minutes gave Wick Academy a lead they never looked like letting slip, and another first half strike was followed by a final minute fourth as the Scorries continued their pursuit of the title.

Lossie travelled with a patched up squad and were missing Scott Wilson after he went off injured against Forres in midweek, while the bench featured an up and coming trialist named Steven Dixon. Wick were without Michael Steven and Sam Mackay due to injury and work commitments respectively.

Wick started like a train and were ahead after only two minutes. Gary WEIR rounded Hall and left footed the ball into an empty net to get the hosts off and running.

One became two only minutes later when Richard MACADIE thundered home a second from inside the area.

Lossie were defensively all over the place and Wicks failed to add to their tally was the result of some complacent finishing. Willie Mathers headed an effort off the line, while Hall saved at least three goalbound efforts

Wick ended the game as a contest midway through the half when James PICKLES volleyed home from a dozen yards.

Half time – Wick Academy 3-0 Lossiemouth

Lossie spent the second half playing down the Harmsworth slope but the strong wind blowing in the faces of the visitors rendered useless the geographical advantage.

Lossie almost made it through the second half unscathed but the final two minutes saw things go from bad to worse. Grant Mitchell picked up his second booking of the day and was ordered off.